1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains generally to the field of carrier devices designed to assist in hand carrying a plurality of separate items by interconnecting the same into a single bundle for easier hand carrying and transportation as a unit rather than a series of separate articles, and is more particularly directed to such a carrier device for holding together a number of conventional garment hangers with or without garments suspended therefrom so that all of the hangers and garments may be conveniently carried suspended from the common carrier.
2. State of the Prior Art
Garment hangers are available in a great variety of designs and materials of manufacture, including wire hangers such as are typically provided by dry cleaning and laundry establishments to their patrons; plastic covered wire hangers; molded plastic hangers in a wide assortment of designs; and a variety of wooden hangers ranging from a simple arched beam of unfinished wood and provided with a wire hook to elaborately constructed and finished hardwood coat hangers. A common element found in almost all such garment or coat hangers is an upwardly extending hook by which the hanger is suspended from a horizontal support such as a rod or length of tubing typically provided in closets for this purpose or in free-standing clothes racks such as found in department stores, check rooms of public establishments, etc. The hooks provided on the hangers, whether made of bent heavy gage rigid metallic wire, or of molded plastic, or of still other materials tend to be of substantially similar shape and dimensions. This is particularly true of the low cost wire hangers widely used by dry cleaning establishments, and which are also the more difficult and inconvenient type of hanger to carry because of the relatively thin and rather flexible wire used for these hangers which tend to cut into the flesh of the carrying hand particularly when several garment laden hangers are carried in one hand, and because of the unfinished, exposed, rather sharp end of the wire hook.
When picking up their dry cleaning, many persons thus have no convenient means for carrying the sometimes large bundles of clothing where each garment is suspended from a separate wire hanger. Such bundles frequently include six, ten or even more wire hangers which need to be carried from the store to the patron's vehicle, or sometimes longer distances on foot or by public conveyance. The task may be facilitated by tying together the hooks of the hangers by any expedient means available such as string, rubber bands or the like. Even so, the wire hooks tend to cut into and pinch the hand of the person carrying the bundle. Further, the bundle can be relatively heavy and bulky so that frequent shifting of the same from hand to hand is desirable, or at least repositioning of the hooks in relation to the carrying hand, yet the naked wire hooks are not easily maneuvered or shifted so as to maintain a reasonably comfortable hold on the bundle.
Therefore, what is needed is a simple, easy to use carrier adapted to receive the hooks of a number of garment hangers and having a more convenient handle or other means by which a person can grasp and carry the carrier with a number of garment hangers with garments suspended therefrom in one hand with greater ease and comfort. Such carrier should desirably be sufficiently inexpensive to manufacture so that it can be given away as a promotional item by dry cleaning establishments or department stores to their patrons but should also be sufficiently durable so that it can be reliably reused many times.
This applicant is not aware of an existing device which meets these needs.